Biology (11th Edition)

Published by McGraw-Hill Education
ISBN 10: 1259188132
ISBN 13: 978-1-25918-813-8

Chapter 22 - The Origin of Species - Figure 22.18 - Inquiry Question - Page 455: 1

Answer

Changes in geographic range could allow species/populations to switch from isolation to overlap. The latter case would allow interbreeding, with the resulting gene flow keeping two populations in the same species, an example of evolutionary stasis. Also, shifting geographic range would force species to adapt to several sets of conditions across their shifting range, again leading to little or no evolutionary change/stasis.

Work Step by Step

First look at the definition of evolutionary stasis: a period of little or no evolutionary change. Then consider how shifting geographic range could prevent evolution. Two possibilities (there could be others) would be gene flow to prevent a species/population from adapting to one specific place and adaptation to multiple geographic places preventing speciation.
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